But I love him
by twiliightguardian110
Summary: Bella meets Edward, her brother Emmetts page, a knight in training. She falls in love with him, and he with her. Will there be trouble in paradise when Jacob comes and her parents forbid her from seeing Edward?
1. The Page

**A.N.- alright this is my first try at a story and I would love to hear any feedback you have...pleasant feedback is always best but i can take criticism too...to the story then.**

**Disclaimer. I, unfortunately don't own Twilight or any of its characters.**

It all seemed like a normal day. Same as always. I was out for a walk in the gardens, something I love to do. I could hear the sounds of my brother's laughter. Emmett has quite the laugh. You could hear him from a mile away, I swear. I heard the sounds of horses stamping at the ground and knew Emmett was working his jousting skills again. He aspired to be a knight. I rounded the corner and saw the most beautiful man I had ever seen. He was standing next to Emmett and his horse. He looked to be about my age, a little older maybe but certainly younger than Emmett. He was brushing Emmett's horse and steadying his spear while Emmett was talking animatedly about something as he tended to do. I watched them for a moment more before I saw Emmett turn towards the garden. It was odd, ever since we were young, we always had a sort of 6th sense about the other. We always knew when one of us was close. Of course that had to be in effect now. He looked up and a huge grin spread across his face. There was a wicked glint in his eye and I knew that if I went over there things would not end well. So I began to turn and walk away before he could call me over. He called me before I even had a chance to round the corner.

"Bells! Bells, come over here!"

Oh, this will not be good. I'm about to walk over and strike up a conversation with my brother while a gorgeous man is standing next to him. I was never going to be able to form a complete sentence with this man around. I'd run out of time to think, I was already about 10 feet away. I walked the rest of the way there, surprisingly without tripping, and curtsied to Emmett and the handsome stranger.

"Emmett."

"Bella, this is Edward. He's my squire this season and will be training to be a knight himself for next season. I'm training him. I figured you would want to meet him since you've been staring for 5 minutes."

Emmett smiled his evil smile while I stared at him, mouth slightly agape, and eyes wide. How could he say such a thing, in front of Edward no less. I looked at him from the corner of my eye and saw him looking down, cheeks aflame. Maybe this was as bad for him as it was for me. Awkwardness filled the conversation for about half a minute before Emmett cleared his throat and spoke.

"Alright, awkward! Edward, shall we take James back to the stable and then retire for lunch?"

Edward cleared his throat and looked at me from the corner of his eye before speaking.

"Yes, your highness, that sounds lovely."

"Oh Edward, I've told you. Emmett. Just Emmett. I don't do well with that 'your highness' stuff. Too much of it and I'll get a big head."

I laughed out loud before answering.

"Really Em, you'll get one? I thought you already had one."

Edward laughed and then attempted to hide it with a cough as Emmett glared at me.

"Very nice, young one. Run along and go play with the dogs or something."

I scoffed at him, eyes wide, my mouth set in a furious frown.

"Alright, Emmett, lunch?" Edward clapped his hands and stepped into our quarrel quickly. He was impressive though, already knew where to hit Emmett to get him to soften up.

I was about to yell at Emmett for his comment but he began to walk away first. When Emmett is upset, he doesn't talk about it, he stalks away. That left me and Edward, standing in awkward silence for a moment.

"So, your highness, do you and Emmett always quarrel so?"

"No, not usually. He loves to embarrass me though so it seems as if we may. But please, do call me Bella. I'm not a fan of the your highness stuff either. Are you staying with us for the summer?"  
"Yes, I am. I'll be with you the rest of the summer and a bit of the fall. Emmett and your father feel that it would be best for me to finish out the season before getting training of my own."

"That sounds wonderful. How exciting it must be to-"

"Bella! Bella!"

My best friend Alice ran over to me at that exact moment. She had a frantic look in her eyes, one that she got very rarely.

"Alice, what's wrong?" I shot an apologetic glance at Edward. He just smiled back warmly.

"Oh Bella, the most terrible thing. Jasper's locked in my closet again! I thought I could get him out this time but I can't. I need you to help me! I couldn't find anyone else."

"Alice, not again! You know I'm not strong enough to get those doors unstuck. I don't know if I can help here."

"If you don't mind, I could help get his highness out of the…closet. If it's a matter of doors getting stuck, I can easily help you to open them." Edward's cheeks turned a slight pink color after he spoke of getting Jasper out of the closet. None the less, I was quite anxious to accept his offer, if for nothing else but to spend more time with him.

"Oh, Edward, that would be lovely. Thank you so much. I'll show you where it is. Alice, run ahead and tell Jasper we have help coming."

Alice ran towards the castle again. I was left with Edward. We had started moving and were walking side by side toward the castle, in no rush.

"If you don't mind my asking, why is his highness stuck in a closet? And I believe I heard the word 'again' used as well?" Edward was always so polite; it would be hard to deny him anything.

"Jasper and Alice are together, a couple. They go to her closet, which is the size of her room, and they engage in whatever activity it is that they do. Occasionally, I think she has him dress up. She loves to do that to everyone, him especially. She dresses him up in his finest suits, coats and tails, and any other type of finery she can find. He doesn't care much for it, but he loves her so he goes along with it."

I loved telling this story. Jasper didn't mind, as long as I didn't paint him in a compromising position, which I never did, and as long as I didn't tell the wrong people.

"And may I ask your relation to both?"

"Alice is my best friend. Her father is the duke of the country to the north. She comes to visit every summer and I visit her in parts of the winter and spring. We have been playmates since birth and our fathers were close before that. As for Jasper, he and I are twins. Fraternal. He was born a minute and a half before myself. He never lets me forget it either."

Edward chuckled at the slightly frustrated tone I held at the end of my speech. I looked at him and he smiled a heart breaking crooked smile. I fell harder for him in that instant.

"And yourself, may I ask about you?" I wondered aloud.

"I am from somewhat noble heritage. My father is the duke of the country to the east. My father and your father have been acquaintances for some time and when your father learned of my interest in jousting, he called for me at once to come and learn from his son. I embraced the opportunity. I've heard of your brother, Emmett. He is quite the idol when it comes to jousting in my country. After his victory at the games last year, everyone knew his name. He was all they talked about for months, so when the opportunity came to train with him, I couldn't refuse. Word of his highness, Jasper, gets around about his amazing talent for archery and hunting. I thought perhaps I could speak with him and learn some of his secrets before the season was over. I'd also heard that this castle was home to one of the most beautiful women in the land. I am pleased to say that rumors are not false."

He looked at me full on and my face turned a dark shade of crimson at his words. I turned my eyes down as we continued to walk.

"I'm sorry, was that out of line? Too forward of me? I'm sorry to have insulted you." He stopped and bowed deeply in front of me.

I grabbed his shoulder and pulled him from his bow.  
"No, no you haven't insulted me. On the contrary I'm quite flattered. You simply caught me off guard. My apologies." I curtsied to him and he grabbed my hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed it softly.

"It seems both of us think we are at fault here. The comment is stricken from the record but the truth remains. You are the most radiant woman I have ever seen." He my brought my hand to his lips and kissed it a second time. He lowered our hands but still held onto mine. I took a step closer so we were mere inches apart. I looked up into his piercing green eyes as his face drew closer to mine. We were centimeters apart when we heard it.

"Bella! Bella! Hurry!"

Curse Alice and her timing! I pulled back and looked at Edward sheepishly. His eyes were wild and fearless.

"Another time, perhaps." He spoke in a low husky voice.

"Yes, another time." I agreed in a breathless tone.

He held onto my hand a moment longer and then dropped it as we headed back to the castle, walking closer to each other than we had been before.

We arrived in Alice's room moments later and Edward had the door unstuck in a matter of a moment. It was incredible to watch the way he moved as he pulled the doors open. Jasper stood frozen for a moment upon seeing Edward, but recovered quickly and walked out of the closet. Edward bowed.

"Your Highness."

"Please, call me Jasper. Thank you so much for getting the doors open. I don't know how they keep getting stuck. If you wouldn't mind, could you possibly keep this between the 4 of us? If Emmett hears about this he will eat me alive. Well, figuratively anyway."

"It will be my pleasure to keep this here. I must be going though. Emmett will be wondering where I am. Jasper, ladies. May you have a pleasant afternoon."

He shot me look as he spoke that made me think I would be seeing him sooner than later. My heart ached for the time when I could next stare into his green eyes and lose myself completely in them.

**Please let me know what you think... : )**


	2. Close Encounters

**A.N. i want to dedicate this chapter (short i know) to Pandy the Dandy- first review thanks so much**

**Disclaimer- i still dont own twilight no matter how hard i try**

Jasper left to retire to his chambers, leaving Alice and I alone. I could tell this wasn't going to be good.

"So, Bella, tell me. What do you think of this Edward? You seem quite enamored with him. Is it true?" Alice was always so blunt. Never one to beat around the bush.

"I don't really know him Alice. I mean I've had one conversation with him. Enamored I am not." I couldn't tell if she bought the lie or not because the truth was that I was head over heels for the man.

"You may not be in love with him yet but you will be soon." Alice just smiled at me with her knowing smile. Of course she saw through me, how could she not?

"Whatever you say Alice" I left the room then.

As I walked down the corridor, my thoughts were filled with Edward. Hard as I may try, I couldn't get his green eyes out of my mind. They were the sharpest color green I had ever seen in my life. Just as I rounded the corner, I hit something hard and fell backwards, smacking my head on the ground. My vision started to swim and I couldn't see straight. I felt two hands pick me up and cradle me against their chest. I felt warm breath on my cheek and heard a voice, seeming somewhat distant.

"Bella! Bella, please, can you hear me? Please Bella, answer me!" I tried to answer but the blackness consumed me.

I woke up to a cool hand on my cheek. I wasn't fully awake yet, but awake enough to know that someone was touching me. The cool hand soothed me, but I still bolted upright. I realized then that I was in a bed in some room I hadn't yet seen. I looked around and was startled and pleasantly surprised to see Edward sitting next to me, a look of concern etched onto his face. He looked breathtaking, I was surely one to ask. I felt my cheeks turn quite red and I let out a breath I didn't know I had been holding.

He chuckled at my reaction. Everyone did that. Blushing for me was inevitable under the best circumstances but not here. This was just one of those days it seemed.

"Bella, can you hear me? Bella!" Edwards voice wasn't sharp but you could hear he was getting worried when I wasn't answering him.

"Sorry, erh..em…what?" Goodness, I couldn't even form a complete question with him around. Maybe I could blame it on the large bump my head had acquired from its run-in with the floor.

"I was merely asking if you were alright. You hit the ground pretty hard."

Was I alright? I wasn't quite sure. My head was throbbing and my pulse wouldn't slow, but that was for an entirely different reason. I felt my forehead crease while I thought this all over, glancing over at Edward periodically. He had a crease right between his eyes as well as he watched me try to figure out if I was, in fact, alright. The crease grew deeper as I fumbled for words.

"Yes, I-I'm fine, I think. Nothing I can't handle anyway. You'll soon come to find, I believe, that I am an incredible klutz. I trip at the slightest things and usually find a way to trip over nothing." I was rambling towards the end, a habit I picked up when I was young and meeting new people at one of my fathers parties. I always ramble when I'm nervous, for no apparent reason.

"Well then, I'm glad to see this fall hasn't done too much damage. No cuts or bruises that I can see. Still the most beautiful woman I have ever seen." His eyes grew intense as they held mine.

I sat captivated by everything about him. The way his hair fell into his lovely green eyes, the way his mouth was set in an almost determined straight line with a hint of a smile edging around his lips. And his scent, the second most intoxicating thing, besides his eyes. He smelled of the most wonderful mixture of scents that could ever have been found anywhere. The sweetest flower could not compare. I hadn't realized we had both been leaning in towards each other until I felt his breath on my cheek again. His eyes flitted from my lips back to my eyes once, twice, a third time. I realized mine had been doing the same. We were mere inches apart when the door burst open.

**not as long as i wanted but oh well good stopping place--review please : )**


	3. Once Upon A Dream

**Disclaimer...I dont own Twilight or its characters**

I woke with a start. Was that all a dream? No, I couldn't have possibly dreamed up Edward. He was too real, there was too much that my mind could not have fabricated. I sat up and my head started throbbing. 'Ok, so that part was definitely real' I thought to myself. I looked around and realized that the room I was in was my own. Odd, I don't remember how I got here. I saw something yellow to my left and turned towards it. It was a note with elegant writing filling the page.

_Bella_,

_I'm afraid you fell in the hallway and hit your head rather hard. I took you to your room. I hope you aren't terribly angry with me. Perhaps you would join me for a picnic later this afternoon? I would love to get to know you better. I'll be waiting for you around 2 o'clock in the gardens. _

_Hoping you are well,_

_Edward._

My heart started thumping erratically. He wanted to have a picnic with me? I was quite thrilled at this idea. I turned towards the clock in my room and found that it was 1 o'clock. Plenty of time to get ready I'm sure. I walked over to the closet and pulled out a deep green colored dress. The top was shear white lace that floated across my collarbone and shoulders. I thought it was a very flattering dress. I slipped into the dress and walked over to my vanity. My hair hung down across my shoulders, shiny and wavy. I decided to leave it the way it was, no use trying to tame it now or make it do anything I wanted it to for that matter. My cheeks were rosy with excitement and added the right amount of color to my face. If I felt the need, I would have approached Alice for help, but I only had an hour. I glanced at my clock again and found that only 10 minutes had passed. Why must time creep so slowly when we are waiting for things?

I walked over to the desk, just underneath the window, and sat and looked down upon the grounds. The flowers looked lovely from this angle, tiny spots of color among the green of the garden. The sky was the most beautiful shade of blue, not a cloud in sight, the perfect day.

I found myself thinking of Edward, sure now that he wasnt a dream. The note obviously proved that. My thoughts fell upon his bronze hair, how it was the perfect length for him, not too short but not long enough that it obscured his face in a bad way. How it fell just over his eyes until he pulled it back with those long, white fingers of his. How the hints of red and blonde would show when the sun hit them just right. The shape of his strong jaw and flawless nose floated into my subconscious. The perfect curve of his cheek bones connecting with his nose and jaw, forming a perfect profile. I saved the best part for last, his eyes. The strong deep, emeral color left me breatheless. The flecks of gold that stuck out everynow and then had me captivated. My thoughts continued to wander around all aspects of his person, from his personality, back to his appearance. I was snapped out of my thoughts when I realized what I was doing. I looked down and found a pencil in my hand with a sketch pad underneath it. But what truly shocked me was the picture I had been drawing without truly realizing I was doing it. A fairly good rendition of Edward had found its way onto my paper. Sketching was a hobby of mine, and I found that when I was truly inspired by something was when some of my best works were created. Looking at my sketch of Edward had me remembering that I was supposed to meet him soon. I glanced at my clock for a third time and saw that it was 10 minutes to 2. I set my sketch book back in the drawer it usually was in and set off the gardens.

I made my way out to the gardens, realizing that the gardens were fairly large and that Edward could be in any part of them. I wandered for a few more minutes and found him sitting towards the middle of the gardens, sitting beneath a large oak my father's grandfather had planted many years ago. it was my favorite place to go and think. It was quite and somewhat shaded so it wasn't too hot in the summer. He sat upon a dark blue blanket, sitting beside a basket, and he was reading a book. I walked up to him quietly so as not to disturb him. Upon closer inspection, I found that he was reading one of my favorite books, Wuthering Heights. I didnt exactly take him for the type to enjoy the classics, but I had just met him, who was I to make assumptions already? I had made it seemingly undetected thus far so I sat down next to him and let him continue to read. He looked up not a fraction of a second later and captured my eyes with his glorious green orbs.

"Good Afternoon, Bella. It seems you are well, are you not?" He looked at me with such concern for my well-being. Always the gentlemen it seems.

"Yes, I am well, thank you. Thank you also for taking me to my room. It would have been quite embarassing if Jasper or Emmett had to find me passed out in the hallways again. That happens more often than you may think. I find myself to be quite the klutz, but you obviously gathered that, seeing that you were the one to find me splayed across the castle floor." I could tell I was rambling again, something that happens often when I find myself to be nervous. But, alas, I couldnt stop myself from speaking. I glanced up at Edward to see a slight smile playing on his lips. My rambling was broken when a soft chuckle escaped his lips.

"What? Did i say something funny?"

"No on the contrary, I find you quite entertaining. I quite enjoy the way you seem to ramble, which you seem to do quite often I might add." The smile that was hinting at the edge of his lips had now turned into a full, mindblowing smile.

My face began to heat as I blushed at his words. I ducked my head before I could lose myself in his eyes.

"I'm sorry, that was rude of me. I didnt mean that you ramble, I simply meant I like the way you...you..." He seemed at a loss for words.

"It's alright, Edward, I was simply embarrassed because you caught me in an old habit. I do ramble but its mostly when I'm nervous." I admitted the last with a small smile and an even brighter blush painting my cheeks.

"I make you nervous?" Edward seemed as if he was trying to figure out if he felt more pleased with the fact that he makes me nervous, or if he felt worried because I made him nervous. I couldnt believe he thought it could be in a bad way.

"Yes, you do, but in the best way. Nothing bad. I feel quite safe with you actually. So there is no need to fear that I might feel nervous for a bad reason." I phrased that awkwardly but I believe he got the point because his smile grew and he seemed quite pleased with himself.

"So Bella, I arranged this little picnic here because I thought it would be best if we got to know one another a little better. You fascinate me, if I may be so blunt, and I want to know more about you. I'm hoping you feel the same?" His last remark came out as more of a question but it made me blush a deeper shade of scarlet. Curse this habit of blushing.

"I do feel the same actually. Let's start with you. Please, tell me about yourself." I'm not sure where the surge of confidence came from, but i was quite glad for it.

The picnic carried on in a relaxed fashion. He spoke of his childhood and told me of his parents, of his sister Rosalie, who sounded quite perfect for Emmett. Edward agreed that we should set them up. We spoke of everything we could think to talk about. I told him about my childhood, since he told me of his. i divulged funny stories of both Emmett and Jasper, making him swear he wouldn't hold the stories against my brothers. It was the most wonderful day I could have ever dreamed of.

The sun began to set and both Edward and I decided it was a good time to head back towards the castle. We walked together through the grounds and started in through the main corridors. I remembered his room was in the opposite direction of mine as we reached the final hall. He turned with me and began walking me to my door. I turned to look at him once we had arrived.

"What was this? Walking me to my door? What a gentlemen." I smiled at him as I said this.

"Well after your fall earlier, I figured it was safest to make sure that you got here safely." He smiled his amazing smile and it made me melt. "I had a wonderful time today, Bella. Perhaps we could do it again?"

"I would love to do this again. Are you free tomorrow around the same time?" Again, I was thankful for the boost of confidence.

"I am as a matter of fact. I'll bid you goodnight now. I'll see you tomorrow Bella." He leaned down and grabbed my hand, brushing the back of it to his lips before turning and walking down the corridor towards his room. I sank back against my door before opening it.

I turned and made my way towards my bed and sat down. I thought back to the day and found it had been the best day of my life. Without really realizing it, I had laid down and fallen asleep, thoughts of Edward floating through my mind, looking forward to what would come tomorrow.

**A/N sorry for the long wait. School is crazy and flu season sucks. Review?**


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